Negros Power investments aim to cut power costs and outages in Bacolod

A business leader in Bacolod City is pushing Negros Electric and Power Corporation (NEPC) to lower electricity costs and reduce outages, as consumers face a steep June rate hike. Frank Carbon of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry outlined a framework urging NEPC to cut system losses, upgrade substations, and improve reliability. NEPC is already spending PHP 2.5 billion on a five-year rehabilitation plan, including new substations and a sub-transmission line upgrade. The utility's June rate of PHP 13.84 per kWh reflects higher generation costs, not distribution charges. NEPC aims to reduce system losses by 70 percent over five years and is building two new substations to handle growing demand. The outcome will test whether capital spending can deliver both lower bills and fewer outages for the 250,000 customers in its franchise area.